I look forward to my monthly planning routine every time! I am such a planning nerd.
Planning is the cornerstone of success. You cannot expect to reach your goals if you don’t plan accordingly.
Everyone’s monthly planning strategy looks different, and rightfully so. You should do what works for you. However, I have found the perfect 5-step routine through trial and error.
This strategy has saved me a lot of time AND I can see my goals materializing daily.
Let’s dive into my 5-step monthly planning routine! I’ll show you a screenshot of my VERY simple planning layout at the end ♥
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The Only Monthly Planning Routine You Need
1. Reflect on the past month
Reviewing the previous month is crucial. Once you understand where you are, you can figure out where you’re going.
- Reflect on your goals – Tick off the goals you achieved and identify the reason for the ones you didn’t. This will help you tweak your strategy for an improved upcoming month.
- Review your achievements – Write down all your milestones for the month. Whenever my blog hits a slow season, I revisit my milestones. Seeing how far I’ve come is the best motivation.
- Note the unfinished tasks – I always migrate unfinished tasks to the next month. Don’t beat yourself up over incomplete tasks – just carry them forward.
2. Set new goals
All your main goals should be broken down into mini stepping stones. Otherwise, you’ll get overwhelmed and burnt out.
Set new monthly goals that align with your main goal.
BUT.
Add a mini side quest for some fun. I have a list of 30 monthly goal ideas on my blog. It’s just simple goals for something extra and less serious throughout your month.
Follow these guidelines when you set your goals during your monthly planning routine:
- Write down your goals for the month
- Use the SMART method to elaborate on them (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound).
- Add your ‘why’ as a motivator
3. Transform your goals into an actionable list
During this step, we want to transform our goals into a to-do list. Here’s how:
- List the required tasks to achieve each goal
- Prioritize these tasks based on importance and urgency
- Estimate the time it will take to complete each task
Doing the above will help you plan more efficiently and realistically. It avoids ‘overplanning syndrome’.
4. Schedule your calendar
Finally, we get to the actual planning part of the monthly planning routine.
Use a planner of choice to visualize your month. There are many different options:
- Paper planning
- Printables
- Desk calendars
- Notebooks and diaries
- Digital planners
- Notion
- Trello
- Google Calendar
After choosing a platform, jot down all appointments, deadlines, birthdays, events, etc. Blocking out these times first makes it much easier to fill in the gaps realistically.
Allocate the tasks from step 3 into the calendar.
And violà, you mapped out your month.
5. Track your progress
My monthly planning routine doesn’t stop there.
I keep track of my progress throughout the month. Since my goals heavily rotate around my blog, I use my analytics and a checklist to track my progress.
However, you can use a tracker, like a journal, app, or spreadsheet. Update and adjust it as needed.
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Hot tips for monthly planning
I thought of a couple of extra things I wanted to add while I was roughly planning this post.
So, here are 4 hot tips for my fellow planning enthusiasts:
- Don’t forget to plan your week – A weekly plan can go into much more detail. I have a free weekly planner printable here ♥.
- Schedule overflow times – As someone who usually overbook her schedule… I have learned to incorporate overflow times, where you allocate unscheduled time to catch up on tasks, ensuring you don’t get overwhelmed.
- Schedule leisure and self-care time – I am somewhat of a workaholic. That is why it’s crucial to prioritize self-care on my calendar. It can range from an at-home spa day to an outing with family.
- Create routines – Oh me, oh my. This is the number one reason my planning works out. Routines carry me. I assign specific tasks to certain days; for example, Mondays are dedicated to Pinterest and newsletters. This routine ensures minimal deviation from my planning.
My monthly planning layout
I have a very straightforward and simple system.
Now, I know I’ve said I am not using Notion anymore. However, that changed. I am back on Notion *lol*. I have yet to make it look pretty though.
As you can see below, I have a goal checklist, a to-do list, and an achievements column, followed by a calendar.
Yeah, that’s it 🙂
I told you it’s extremely simple.
I removed some things for privacy reasons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a monthly planning routine can skyrocket your success to another level.
By reflecting on the past, setting clear new goals, and effectively scheduling my tasks, I’ve developed a monthly planning routine that consistently helps me achieve over 90% of my goals.
I encourage you to try the above strategy and let me know how it worked for you.
Before you go don’t forget to sign up for my fantastic newsletter every Monday. Not only will receive updates on new personal development posts BUT gain access to my exclusive complete resource library!
Have a great day wherever you are in the world!
Love, Steph ♥
